Entry Description: Located in Wanchai, Aburi Yakitori ?? introduced a rare ingredient, Bamboo Charcoal Salt, to the Hong Kong market. Bamboo Charcoal salt is a black variant of normal table salt which is known in Japan to have the ability to eliminate impurities in our body. The project and the restaurant were thus named “Aburi” because it literally means “black” in Japanese.
We observed the hand movement of the chef while he sprinkled charcoal salt on yakitori; liken this movement to the hands of an orchestra conductor, we named this “Aburi rain” and this musical motion became the core concept for all the features applied throughout the restaurant.
The feature shop front was set back from the pavement and composed of thousands of wooden blocks rising and ebbing horizontally to form a 3 dimensional curvature. The composition is visually opaque to ensure privacy as requested by the owner. This feature extends to the internal ceiling where similar blocks were hung vertically to form another curve. To further accentuate this wave motion, the end of each block was sliced angularly and the exposed surface stained in black to physically manifest the “Aburi rain”.
The main wall of the restaurant is decorated by a sculpture made with intertwining copper pipes. It represents the burning grill used in the yakitori restaurant. In addition, two hidden Fuji Mountain landscape compositions were subtly composed within so that travelling compatriots could find solace in the intimate environment of the restaurant.

About the Designer/Company
Enoch Hui received his architectural training at the University of Bath and practiced architecture and interior design in both the UK and Hong Kong. He found Atelier E in the year 2009, where every project is a symphony of sequential and intertwining spaces with unique and refined detailing carefully arranged to produce a journey of discovery. This approach reflect Huiâ€™s motto that life is full of joy, so enjoy it as much as you can, while you can. - and very much the same idea he always wants his client to experience in his design.
Enoch is a full member of the Hong Kong Designers Association HKDA and an executive committee of Hong Kong Interior Design Association HKIDA . He was selected as a winner in Perspectiveâ€™s 40 under 40 Recognition 2013. He has also been a guest critic for design institutes at home and in the UK.